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Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye disease, which leads to a damage of the optic nerve. As one of the most frequent diseases of the optic nerve, it becomes noticeable by visual field losses (scotoma) and can
progress even to complete blindness, when untreated. In most cases an increased pressure of the fluid in the eye is the cause for the damage of the optic nerves.
In our eye in front of the lens there is flowing thin aqueous humour, which supplies cornea and lens with all necessary nutrients. If there is, like in a healthy waterway, a balance between
inflow and outflow of the aqueous homour, the inner eye pressure is optimally set. If the outflow is, however, blocked, this leads to a congestion of the liquid and the pressure of the inner eye
starts to increase. The optical nerve is systemically bruised, which in return will further increase the eye pressure and induces sight losses. Further symptoms of glaucoma are headaches,
dizziness and nebulous vision. The vision of rainbow colors around light sources could be a further indication of glaucoma.
Glaucoma is most frequently an age-related disease. In the age the trabecular meshwork (a net-line structure) is not functioning as perfect as in younger ages, which leads to a disorder of the
outflow of the aqueous humour into Schlemm’s canel. Up from the age of 40 years, the inner eye pressure should be checked regularly! Medication, eye diseases or deposits on the eyes could play a
role as well , as possible causes for glaucoma.
In ophthalmology two different types of glaucoma are described. If the passage to the trabecular meshwork and to the Schlemm’s canal is blocked through a narrow lens chamber angle and the iris
is laying on the back part of the cornea, then one speaks of closed angle glaucoma. The cause of the open angle glaucoma in its primary form is the trabecular meshwork itself, whereby the
secondary form occurs when an underlying disease prevents the outflow of the aqueous humour. The closed angle glaucoma is a painful disease and can have a quick progress to blindness, whereas
the open angle glaucoma is often not noticed over a long period of time, thus leading to a chronic disease.
As a preventive of glaucoma only regular consultations at an ophthalmologist will work, in order to measure the inner eye pressure, the visual field and the ocular fundus. This should
particularly be done in case of hereditary affliction, up from the age of 40 years, with strong nearsightedness, with diabetes and with long-period mediations with cortisone.
